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Chatting Champs!

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Lesson Plan

Chatting Champs!

Students will learn and practice key conversation skills like turn-taking, active listening, and asking relevant questions to participate effectively in group discussions.

Strong conversation skills help students communicate their ideas, understand others, and build better friendships, making school and social situations easier and more enjoyable.

Audience

4th Grade Students with Disabilities (Tier 2 Group Support)

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, visual aids, and guided practice.

Materials

Chatting Champs! Slide Deck, Conversation Starters Worksheet, and Markers or pencils

Prep

Review Materials

5 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What Makes a Great Chat?

3 minutes

  • Display the first slide of the Chatting Champs! Slide Deck.
    - Greet students and introduce the topic: 'Today, we're going to become 'Chatting Champs!' and learn how to have super conversations with our friends and family.'
    - Ask: 'What do you think makes a conversation good or bad?' Allow 1-2 student responses.

Step 2

Conversation Superpowers!

7 minutes

  • Go through slides 2-4 of the Chatting Champs! Slide Deck, explaining each 'Conversation Superpower':
    - Turn-Taking: 'Just like playing a game, everyone gets a turn to talk!'
    - Active Listening: 'Show you're listening with your eyes, ears, and brain! Think about what the other person is saying.'
    - Asking Questions: 'Keep the chat going by asking about what others said or what they like!'
    - Use simple examples for each point and encourage students to share their own experiences or ideas for each superpower.

Step 3

Practice Makes Perfect!

7 minutes

  • Distribute the Conversation Starters Worksheet.
    - Explain: 'Now we're going to practice our new superpowers! You'll work with a partner to have a mini-conversation using these fun starters.'
    - Pair students up. Model a quick example conversation using a starter with a volunteer.
    - Circulate and provide support, prompting students to use turn-taking, listening, and asking questions. (Refer to the Conversation Skills Discussion Guide for potential prompts).

Step 4

Wrap-up: Our Chatting Champ Goal!

3 minutes

  • Bring the group back together.
    - Ask: 'What was one new thing you tried or learned today about having a good conversation?'
    - Briefly reiterate the three superpowers. 'Remember, being a 'Chatting Champ!' means taking turns, listening with your whole body, and asking great questions!'
    - Congratulate them on their efforts.
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Slide Deck

Chatting Champs! Let's Talk!

What makes a conversation fun and easy?

Greet students warmly. Ask them to share what they think makes a good or bad conversation. This is an open-ended question to gauge prior knowledge.

Our Conversation Superpowers!

We all have special skills to make talking with friends even better!

Introduce the idea of 'Conversation Superpowers'. Explain that these are special skills to make chats awesome!

Superpower #1: Take Turns!

  • Everyone gets a chance to talk.
  • Listen when someone else is talking.
  • Don't interrupt!

Explain turn-taking simply. Use an analogy like a game or bouncing a ball. Emphasize not interrupting.

Superpower #2: Listen Up!

  • Look at the person talking.
  • Show them you're interested (nod, smile).
  • Think about what they are saying.

Explain active listening. Focus on non-verbal cues (eyes, body) and showing interest. Ask students what 'listening with your whole body' means.

Superpower #3: Ask Questions!

  • Ask about what someone just said.
  • Ask about their feelings or opinions.
  • Keep the conversation going!

Explain asking questions. Model a few simple follow-up questions. 'If someone says they like dogs, what could you ask?'

Chatting Champs in Action!

Now let's use our:

  • Turn-Taking
  • Listening Skills
  • Question Asking

...to have some awesome chats!

Briefly review all three superpowers. Set the stage for the practice activity.

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Worksheet

Conversation Starters!

Instructions: Use your Conversation Superpowers (Take Turns, Listen Up!, Ask Questions!) to chat with a partner. Pick a starter and see how long you can keep the conversation going!

Partner 1: Start the Conversation!

Partner 2: Listen and Respond!

  1. What's your favorite animal and why?



  2. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?



  3. What's the best game you've ever played?



  4. Tell me about a time you felt really happy.



  5. What do you like to do when you have free time?



  6. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?



My Notes/Ideas (Optional):











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Discussion

Conversation Skills Discussion Guide

This guide provides prompts and tips for the teacher to facilitate discussion during the "Chatting Champs!" lesson, especially during the practice session and wrap-up.

Introduction (Warm-up)

  • "What makes a conversation fun? What makes it not so fun?"
  • "Have you ever felt shy to talk, or didn't know what to say? It's okay! We're all learning."

During Practice (Using Conversation Starters Worksheet)

As students are working in pairs, circulate and use these prompts to guide them:

To encourage Turn-Taking:

  • "Remember our first superpower? Whose turn is it to talk now?"
  • "Great job listening! Now it's your turn to share your idea."
  • "Can you wait until your partner finishes their thought? That shows great respect!"

To encourage Active Listening:

  • "What did your partner just say about their favorite animal?"
  • "Show your partner you're listening with your eyes and your body."
  • "Did you hear that interesting part? What did you think about it?"

To encourage Asking Questions:

  • "Your partner said they like playing video games. What's a good question you could ask them about that?"
  • "How can you keep the conversation going? What else could you ask?"
  • "Try asking a 'why' or 'how' question to learn more!"
  • "Can you ask your partner to tell you more about that?"

General Encouragement:

  • "That's a fantastic conversation! I heard lots of turn-taking there."
  • "You're really being a 'Chatting Champ!' Keep it up!"
  • "It's okay to pause and think about what to say next."

Wrap-up (Reflection)

Bring the group back together for a brief reflection:

  • "What was one new 'Conversation Superpower' you tried today?"
  • "Was it easy or tricky to take turns? Why?"
  • "What did you learn from listening to your partner today?"
  • "How did asking questions help your conversation?"
  • "When might you use these conversation skills outside of our classroom?"
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